Run
by TheHEartBandit
Summary: A series of unrelated one-shots, I suppose.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or anything.

This is my first NCIS story. I have only seen about 3 episodes of the show, but I have read enough fanfictions that I know what's going on and how the characters are. Correct me if there is something wrong. Please review! Tell me if I should continue.

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Gibbs knew he would need to keep a careful watch over Tony the minute he saw the girl's body. There were bruises covering almost every inch of her body, some visibly from fists and shoes. Ducky confirmed her COD as internal bleeding from the brutal beating. The main suspect was the father, a petty officer, who unfortunately was nowhere to be found.

At the scene, Tony unfailingly played it cool. The mask was on. He ribbed 'Zee-vah' and 'McGeek' as usual, but Gibbs could definitely tell something was up. He had a pretty good guess what it would be.

When they made it back to the office, Ziva and McGee seated themselves at their respective desks, trying to look busy when really just waiting for a tip to come in about the suspect. They had attained all the information they needed for a successful investigation. Someone would report the guy and they would have him in no time. It was an easy, by the book case.

Except for the whole Tony issue.

Gibbs watched petulantly as Tony headed straight for the elevator after popping some Tylenol from his desk and unceremoniously dry swallowing two tablets. He was hesitant to follow; Tony might be seeking out Abby or Ducky, or maybe both, probably not to confess to his troubles, but just for their company. He did so often when the work was light. The work wasn't particularly light for Abby or Ducky, processing the scene evidence and performing an autopsy was hardly light. Out of respect for his agent, Gibbs waited at his desk, watching McGee and Ziva continue their current not-work intently. He felt his heart swell with pride when both his agents would glance worriedly at Tony's empty desk and then right back to their computer screens, swallowing the uneasy feeling that Tony wasn't okay.

Gibbs kept a check on the time, waiting a full hour exactly from when Tony stepped onto the elevator. He followed suit, pressing the button for Abby's lab. He was disappointed to find Abby blasting music… alone. The scenario was the same at autopsy, sans the excruciatingly loud music. Gibbs got back into the elevator and sighed, looking at the numbers of the floors, trying to think where Tony would go. And then it hit him. The gym. He sighed again, knowing it was where he should have gone first a long time ago. He reluctantly pushed the button, worried that he would find his agent exhausted.

As always, his gut feeling was correct. The sound of the treadmill could be heard before Gibbs rounded to corner into the room. Gibbs stopped at the entrance and leaned against the wall, thinking his agent would notice and stop. Tony was running at an inhumanly fast pace and sweating profusely, eyes closed, head slightly bent forward with the effort. From Gibbs's angle, he couldn't see DiNozzo's torn hands from where he had earlier beaten the punching bag mercilessly, without gloves.

Tony opened his eyes after sensing he wasn't alone and he saw Gibbs but decided to pretend like he didn't. The running felt good to his lungs and his legs, and he needed some time to think about nothing. His boss's stare wasn't helping much. After several minutes of being watched, Tony began to get impatient.

"DiNozzo, it's time to stop." Gibbs's voice was calm, but loud enough to be heard over the working machinery.

Tony ignored him with a practiced skill, ready to take on any head slaps that would be coming his direction. He pushed a little harder, knowing his energy was quickly being drained by the flat out running he was condemning himself to.

When Gibbs noticed Tony's cold shoulder, he decided to intervene. He walked to the treadmill, gave a pitying 'Tony', and turned the machine off. Tony stopped running before he fell off the machine and then let himself fall into a sitting position on the ground next to it, breathing heavily, and closing his eyes. His workout clothes were almost completely drenched and he found it difficult to catch his breath. When he opened his eyes again, Gibbs was crouched next to him, gazing concernedly down at him.

"Sorry, Boss." He said guiltily between pants for breath. He picked his hands up off the ground and unconsciously began to rub the raw spots on the knuckles, forgetting his boss's hawk-like eyes.

"Don't apologize. Let me see." He took Tony's hands gently into his own, his fingers brushing lightly across the open skin. Tony didn't even wince at the interaction, staring off into space. "Do you have to do this every time, DiNozzo?" Gibbs sighed, falsely frustrated, and truly worried. Truth be told, Tony didn't always run himself to death after a difficult case. Sometimes, he didn't eat. Most times he didn't sleep. Every time, he guilted himself into a depression. Those things were normal reactions, but the way Tony handled them was disturbing.

As Gibbs spoke gently, Tony turned his head away, not wanting his boss to see the look in his eyes that he knew would betray his feelings. His breath hitched in his throat, and he coughed into the palm of his hand, slightly regretting going all out. He hadn't even thought about the fact they he probably wouldn't get to go home until at least one or two in the morning. He would be exhausted when he finally got home, and probably in a lot of pain after the exertion he subjected himself to.

"Let's get you cleaned up," Gibbs used his softest voice once again, standing and offering a hand to his sitting agent. Tony grasped his gratefully and lurched onto his now sore feet. He winced, missing the adrenaline already, still barely catching his breath. Gibbs turned toward the locker room and listened for Tony's footsteps. They came slowly, and he turned around to make sure Tony was still behind him. As he turned, Tony lost his battle with gravity as his overworked muscles gave out and he fell quickly toward the floor. Luckily for Tony, Gibbs still had fast reflexes and caught him just in the nick of time. He eased Tony to the ground and noticed his agent's pale face and still closed eyes.

"Guess I'm just tired, Boss." Tony coughed again and Gibbs frowned. He was supposed to be okay for physical activity. But who wouldn't be coughing and falling after that sort of run?

Tony reopened his eyes and slowly got to his feet again, keeping his arms out for balance. "I'm good." He faked a smile that came out more as a grimace.

Gibbs put an arm around Tony's shoulder, leading him to the locker room and waiting patiently while he changed back into a suit. Tony followed him loyally to the elevator and rested gingerly against the wall. Gibbs pressed the button for Abby's lab and Tony remained silent. Abby's music was down to a tolerable roar when they entered, and Gibbs cautiously gauged Tony's wince at the music.

There was a quiet 'Hey, Abs' before Gibbs ordered Tony to lay down on the futon. Making sure his agent was settled, he turned back to Abby. "Please, Abby, make sure he stays here for a few hours. He needs the rest. Don't let him go until I come back for him." Abby nodded with wide eyes and returned cautiously to her work after a quick hug from Gibbs. She glanced around when Gibbs didn't leave and turned just in time to see Gibbs pulling a blanket over Tony and patting him gently on the head. She smiled and faced her computer once more, knowing that Gibbs had just made Tony's day.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own anything besides the plot, which may have been covered before. :)

I have watched a lot more episodes, so hopefully this is a bit better than the last. Sorry for the brevity.

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Gibbs walked down the steps feeling lighter than when he had gone up them. The team had finished a case early in the morning, he had attended a boring and uninvolved meeting with the Director, and he had a fresh cup of coffee in his hands. The day couldn't get any better. To top it all off, it was approximately lunchtime. That meant another break for more coffee and a nice time away from the building.

He looked around the bullpen to find only two of his three agents at their desks, glancing around nervously as if expecting him to pop out of nowhere and scare them. It was tempting, but he was in a good mood. "Where's DiNozzo?" Even though he had walked in plain sight to the grouping of desks, Ziva and McGee both jumped minimally, surprised by his presence.

"Uh… he left awhile ago, Boss. I'm not sure where to. Did you try Abby?" McGee returned to his computer, looking slightly uncomfortable, probably putting finishing touches on a report or some older paperwork.

"I'm pretty sure he went to see Ducky, Gibbs." Ziva stood and grabbed her coat off the back of her swiveling chair. "McGee, will you be joining me for lunch?"

"Depends on where you are headed…" McGee's voice was quickly cut off from Gibbs by the elevator doors closing in front of him. Just because they didn't have a case didn't mean that Tony could just wander around without his permission. The elevator seemed to be moving slower, as if its speed were decreasing as Gibbs became angrier.

Finally, the elevator 'dinged' and Gibbs walked out and into Autopsy. Ducky was contemplating some x-rays, no doubt the pictures of lungs belonging to the dead Marine lying several feet from the doctor. Ducky was so intent on the x-rays that he didn't even notice Gibbs' entrance, nor acknowledge his presence as Gibbs stood, quite in Ducky's personal space.

"Where's my agent, Duck?" Gibbs remained calm, realizing that Ducky wasn't responsible for Tony in any way and certainly wasn't to be expected to know the place of every person in the building. But Gibbs had intel from a Mossad officer that Tony had last been seen leaving to visit Ducky.

"Oh, do you mean young Anthony? I sent him home, Jethro. He needed the rest. I'm sure you couldn't have the poor lad working." Ducky turned only long enough to make a stern eye contact with Gibbs, and then turned right back to the lighted board.

"What are you talking about?" Gibbs was glaring holes in the side of Ducky's head now, determined to know what secret everyone was determined to keep from him.

"Poor Tony wasn't feeling well, came to me for obvious reasons, and I sent him home for some rest and maybe a few days off. He must have been feeling quite miserable, considering that he came to me on his own accord. My first thought was that you ordered him, but apparently-"

"You sent him home alone to _rest?_ Have you seen DiNozzo style resting? You might have just sent him to finish my boat and get it out of my basement alone." Gibbs threw his coffee away in the trashcan on the way out. He headed right back into the elevator and forcibly pressed the button for the garage, willing the elevator to hurry.

He arrived in no time at his agent's apartment complex. He screeched to a stop in front of the staircase leading to Tony's apartment, ignoring the empty parking spots just to the right. Taking steps by twos, ignoring his protesting knees, he was quickly in front of the door and unlocking it with the key he had been given. He expected his agent to be watching television or doing anything besides the advised resting. Strangely, DiNozzo was nowhere to be found. The place looked generally clean; a stack of DVD's piled haphazardly on the floor, a pile of blankets on the couch, and a trashcan placed randomly next to the couch seemed to be the only messy qualities. It was only after Gibbs checked Tony's bedroom, bathroom and kitchen that he realized the lump of blankets was Tony. He recognized head of brown hair that he hadn't noticed the first time that stuck out at one end of the tangle of blankets. He kneeled slowly next to the couch, not wanting to wake him up. Gently, Gibbs placed his hand on DiNozzo's forehead, gauging his temperature. He withdrew his hand quickly at the heat, realized that Tony was actually sick. He sighed and regretted it instantly when Tony's eyelids flickered open, revealing familiar green eyes lacking the familiar lively spark. A weak "Boss?" was emitted from Tony's mouth as he realized who was looking at him.

"Yeah, DiNozzo." He sighed again, not really knowing what to say. 'I felt bad for not noticing you were sick so I came over here to check on you' wasn't really Gibbs' style. Instead, he tried to display his concern in a discreet manner. "Why didn't you tell me you were sick?"


End file.
